


So Happily

by SoonerThanLater



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 11:05:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2505536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoonerThanLater/pseuds/SoonerThanLater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barbara is greeted by Niall at the airport after a few long months of studying abroad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	So Happily

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short little ficlet that I wrote because I was itching to write an airport scene!
> 
> Disclaimer: Of course I don't have any affiliation with One Direction or Barbara Palvin.

As per usual, she is the first to see him.   
“Horan!”   
Niall Horan’s head swiveled sharply in the direction of her voice. He felt like melting at the sound of Barbara Palvin being so close, and not on the other end of the line. On another continent.   
“Pal!” Niall sprinted to the girl while smugly ignoring the male faces now surreptitiously stealing glances at the beautiful brunette who captured the attention of this gangly youth who dyes his hair blonde. Niall took long strides while Barbara struggled to ensure her rolling luggage didn’t snag at the heels of her boots.   
With a dramatic flourish, Barbara abandoned the handles of her cases and wrapped her arms around Niall’s neck. In turn, Niall lifted her up with surprising strength and spun her around… knocking her rolling suitcase over in the process.   
“Whoops!” Niall blurted and dropped Barbara unceremoniously to her feet.   
“Hopefully there’s still room for me in your life and I wasn’t replaced with some posh English bloke,” Niall joked, with only a hint of bitterness in his voice, as he wheeled the heaviest of Barbara’s luggage.   
Barbara slung her free arm around Niall’s neck in comfortable familiarity.  
“I think there’s only room for one Niall in my life… Unless I come across another Niall that is drop-dead gorgeous, filthy rich, has a warm heart, is great with kids, and completely adores me.” She eyed him seriously with a stare that always leaves Niall short of breath for a split second, “Then you’re in for trouble mister.”   
Niall led the way through the sliding doors and into the parking lot of the airport.   
The airport is small, since its only customers were usually those who live in the small college town located in the middle of nowhere-America. The closest city is an hour away, the closest shopping mall is forty minutes away (much to the dismay of Barbara), and the closest Starbucks is mercifully located in the center hub of the campus. Niall’s jalopy of a car was only parked three spaces away from the entrance. Barbara never thought she would be so happy to see the blaring jaded green color of the motor vehicle. She missed home more than she wanted to admit.   
“Well it’s nice to know that a semester abroad in London didn’t totally have me fall out of your favor,” Niall smirked, throwing her bags in the backseat of his car. The trunk doesn’t open anymore.   
“Of course not. I have been disoriented for the past few months without your unapologetic belching and intrusive insistence that we visit the Olly’s every Thursday night,” Barbara now fastened her seatbelt as Niall slid into the driver’s seat.   
Niall looked aghast, “Are you telling me that you haven’t gone out at least twice a week? You know how you need to wind down or else you’ll just stay in your room, studying and stressed out. Which is totally unnecessary by the way.”  
“Yes, because it’s totally unnecessary to study,” Barbara said with a playful roll of her eyes. “My grades are the highest they’ve ever been without you lot to drag me out all the time.”  
“You lot,” Niall mimicked. “You know you love us though.”  
“Of course,” She said with the upmost sincerity.   
The rest of the car ride passed in silence as Niall drove them down the narrow interstate road, both sides heavily wooded with a variety of vegetation. Barbara caught a glimpse of flat land—farmland. A blanket of snow covered the snow and a strange calm settled over her. She took a deep breath as if she wanted to inhale the entire scene before her, to cherish and remember the sight for the rest of her life. Even in the serenity of the moment, she could sense Niall was burning with questions due to the way his left knee swayed every so slightly, like he always does when he’s nervous.   
She hadn’t the faintest idea as to the reason behind his uneasiness. Final exams have been over for nearly two weeks now. If he failed a class, she would be the first person he would notify. Even though Niall always put on carefree airs, Barbara understood and cultivated his desire to succeed academically. His family life is a happy one, she can attest to that after visiting his home during breaks from school, and he never complained of anything amiss in that department.   
Barbara noted Niall’s mood but didn’t address it. At least not now. It was her token of appreciation for his silence that allowed her to settle back into the life she left behind on this side of the world.   
Before she knew it, Niall pulled the car into the driveway of the house he shares with Zayn Malik and Liam Payne, an English major and pre-Med major respectively. It’s a small Ranch-style house situated only a five minute drive away from campus, and boasts a small lawn with no garden (the boys made sure to rent a place that requires the minimal amount of yard work… or at least an amount of yard work that Liam could handle since he’s the one who takes care of everything located outside the walls of the house). The house has three bedrooms (one for each boy), one bathroom, and a kitchen area that opens up to a spacious living area.   
“Thanks for letting me crash here,” Barbara said graciously.   
After all, she has her own apartment shared with another student. However, that student is currently spending winter break in sunny California.   
“No problemo,” Niall shrugged it off as if he normally does not hate having more of his precious personal space invaded. Because normally, he prefers having more space to himself. But he makes exceptions to his rule. Some of those exceptions come in the form of his family, his four best friends (Zayn, Liam, Louis and Harry), and of course, Barbara. The girl he fancies, has fancied = ever since they were assigned as “writing partners” in their required seminar. The moment she figuratively tore his first paper apart (with an unrelenting harshness that at first surprised him because it was coming from someone with a pair of the softest brown eyes he’s ever seen), Niall knew he was a goner.   
“Out with it, Horan,” Barbara pierced the silence with the confronting question.   
Up until this point, Niall and Barbara sat comfortably on the sofa snacking on gummy worms while waiting for their pizza delivery.   
Never the one for dramatics or beating around the bush, Niall tried to act nonchalantly as he finally voiced the thought plaguing his thoughts since exactly seven days ago. Seven days ago, Harry texted Niall about how Barbara told him all about a guy she met in the program abroad.   
“Harry told me all about your new friend. I think he said his name is Paul.”   
Barbara threw him a sideward glance.   
“Jealous?”  
Niall scoffed, “Jealous? Me? Why would I be jealous?”  
“Because you’re bringing it up,” she shrugged.   
“Only because I care about the people who you surround yourself with,” Niall said defensively.  
“Well if that’s the case then you only seem to care about the supposed straight male friends. Not once have you asked about Cara or my roommate,” she said, crossing her arms in a frustrated huff.   
As if on queue, the doorbell rang.   
Niall shot her a pleading look as if to say “Sorry I fucked up! But please stay so that I don’t end up eating this whole pie of pizza by myself in shame”.  
So Barbara remained planted on her spot in the couch and stared at the image of Monica and Chandler on the TV screen. It was just the scene that she needed to see to give her some life advice.  
The smell of cheesy doughy goodness wafted into the room.  
“Ok.”  
Niall looked perplexed, “Ok… what?”  
“Let’s do this thing.”  
Niall looked from her, to the television, to the pizza he now placed on the coffee table.  
“Do what? The… pizza?”  
Barbara couldn’t remember the last time her face felt so hot. Hot from embarrassment and hunger. Damn that pizza smells good.   
“I mean…” For someone who has a good grasp on the English language, she never did fare well whenever it came to asking for something she wanted.   
“What I mean is… Let’s just eat this pizza already before it gets too cold, Horan.”  
Silently, they chowed down on the pizza and watched TV characters beat around the bush when it comes to dealing with their home and work problems.   
It wasn’t until a rather long infomercial about life insurance started playing when Barbara spoke up again.   
“I wasn’t just talking about the pizza earlier. I was talking about us.”  
She didn’t know where this sudden burst of confidence came from. Maybe it was from watching Ross and Rachel and knowing that they didn’t really end up together until nine seasons later. She didn’t want to wait when she knows, at least for now, what she really wants.   
Barbara looked over at Niall, who wore an expression that made him look like he was looking at his favorite painting of all time. He was looking straight into her eyes, making Barbara avert her gaze to her phone on the table in front of her. Then it all happened so fast.   
Niall swayed forward until his lips met hers.  
It wasn’t an over the moon kiss. But it was a kiss strong enough to make her realize that she would rather not walk out on Niall and spend the rest of the night in her empty apartment.


End file.
